Local athletes sign with colleges

Two Issaquah and four Liberty high school seniors will officially take their athletic talents to the collegiate level, signing letters of intent to play for universities across the country.

Liberty soccer players Nicolle Marlow, Kailiana Johnson, Katie Noonan and Kiana Hafferty made their college commitments official in a special signing day ceremony at the school Feb. 6. The Patriots soccer team placed fourth in state this year.

Both Marlow and Johnson will play for Washington State University, while Noonan will play for Southeastern Louisiana University and Hafferty will suit up for Seattle Pacific University.

Issaquah soccer player Evan King is headed across the country to the Ivy League, where he will play for Cornell University.

Samantha Garrard will go from an Issaquah Eagle to a Seattle University Redhawk, where she will play tennis for the school.

Skyline athletes sign letters

Six Skyline athletes officially committed to play college sports Feb. 6 during the National Signing Day.

From the Skyline football team, Peyton Pelluer will play for Washington State University; Nic Sblendorio will join the team at Eastern Washington University; and Trevor Barney will take his talents to the University of San Diego. From the Skyline soccer program, Lianna Simms will play for Washington State University; Anna DeWeirdt signed with the University of New Hampshire; and Keleb Strawn will play at St. Martins University.

Audrey Thomas named soccer player of the year

Issaquah High School senior midfielder Audrey Thomas ended her career with 35 goals, 27 assists and a multitude of awards.

Now, she can add Gatorade Washington girls soccer player of the year to her long list of accomplishments.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Thomas as Washington’s best high school girls soccer player.

Thomas led the Eagles to a second-place finish in the state’s Class 4A championship game this season, earning the KingCo Conference 4A player of the year award for the second year in a row.

She will play at Division III Williams College in Massachusetts.

State prep sports competition begins

Athletes from Issaquah, Liberty and Skyline high schools will compete in the state championships for wrestling, gymnastics and swimming this weekend.

Each sport will crown its victors after two full days of competition beginning Feb. 15 and ending the next day.

The boys swimming and diving competition will be held at the King County Aquatic Center, 650 S.W. Campus Dr., Federal Way.

The gymnastics state final also takes place at the Tacoma Dome, but in the attached Exhibition Hall.

Ticket prices vary by event and can be purchased at the door. View schedules, check ticket prices and get directions at www.wiaa.com.

Max Browne named Parade All-American

Max Browne may have already bid Skyline High School and its football team farewell for California, but he is still making headlines in the Northwest.

Browne has been named a Parade All American. He was the only quarterback on the annual football team, published in the Feb. 3 edition of the magazine in the Sunday Seattle Times.

Browne, who is enrolled at the University of Southern California after graduating early from high school, is the state’s career leader in passing yards (12,953) and completions (882). He threw for 146 touchdowns in three seasons.

During his senior year, in which he led the Skyline Spartans to the Class 4A state championship, Browne passed for 49 touchdowns with just five interceptions.

The last Parade All-American from the state was wide receiver Kasen Williams, another former Skyline player. Williams, who now plays for the University of Washington, was the magazine’s Player of the Year in 2011.